For Immediate Release
April 22, 2020
Contact: Heather Ellzey
Environmental Educator
Recycling and Trash Collections
479.601.1930
hellzey@fayetteville-ar.gov
FAYETTEVILLE CELEBRATES EARTH DAY WITH ONLINE PLEDGE AND MAYORAL PROCLAMATION
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — April 22, 2020 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day, and Fayetteville is encouraging residents to participate by signing an online Earth Day Pledge. Mayor Lioneld Jordan has issued an Earth Day proclamation and is encouraging everyone to stay safe this Earth Day while getting out and helping clean up our City or by doing things around your home to help conserve resources.
For Earth Day this year, the City of Fayetteville and Experience Fayetteville initially teamed up with municipalities along the Razorback Regional Greenway Corridor to plan a region-wide cleanup of the 40-mile trail. However, this event, along with the post-cleanup celebration, Party in the Park, has been postponed due to COVID-19 and will be rescheduled for a later date. Instead, residents are asked to do something on Earth Day that creates a positive impact while practicing safe social distancing in their neighborhood, local park, or along roadsides and trails, and post to social media about it using the hashtags #recyclesomething and #keepfayettevillebeautiful.
In announcing his proclamation, Mayor Lioneld Jordan said: “In Fayetteville we don’t just celebrate Earth Day every year, we celebrate it every day because we believe in protecting the earth. That’s the thing that we believe in. We believe in protecting the water, and the air and the earth. We do it not only for ourselves, but for our children, and for our children’s children. So today I bring the Earth Day proclamation—not to just read it but because this is so important to me. It’s something I believe, and I know you do too.”
The City of Fayetteville continues to be committed to lowering its carbon footprint and reducing waste. Last year the City installed solar arrays at both waste water treatment plants. These arrays power the plants with renewable solar-generated energy and greatly reduce the amount of energy City facilities must draw from the power grid. To date, City of Fayetteville facilities use 72% clean energy, with an ultimate goal of switching to 100% clean energy by 2030.
Reducing the amount of waste that goes into our landfill is another important goal for the City of Fayetteville. Toward this end, the City has increased apartment recycling and started commercial and residential composting programs that help keep methane-producing organic matter out of the landfill. The compost produced from these programs, as well as from the City’s yard-waste compost program, can be purchased by City residents to help enrich the soil for their home gardens! Gardening relieves stress, increases outdoor time, and produces delicious, home-grown vegetables and fruit to feed your family. The City recently implemented a compost delivery program, bringing nutrient-rich food-waste compost directly to Fayetteville residents.
Last year the City also approved a ban on single-use polystyrene “take-out” packaging. Polystyrene is a non-recyclable product that does not break down in a landfill and often ends up as litter along roadways and streams. Originally scheduled to go into effect on May 1, 2020, this ordinance’s implementation date has now been postponed to July 1, due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information or to print a copy of the City Earth Day Pledge, please go to the event page: www.fayetteville-ar.gov/earthday.
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